Network technology and computers with increased processing speeds and large memories, along with virtual computing software and associated hardware, enable the remote provisioning of computing resources. Providers of such computing resources invest in large quantities thereof, and enter contracts with consumers to provide specified computing resources in a specified manner. In this way, providers bear capital costs associated with maintaining associated infrastructure, and consumers, also referred to as tenants, are largely freed from such capital costs (including potentially unpredictable maintenance costs), while still benefiting from flexibility in terms of a type, quantity, and quality of computing resources consumed over time.
For example, such a resource provider may provide a consumer or other user with a certain quantity of processing power and/or a certain amount of memory per month, which may vary from month to month, and which may be subject to certain service level commitments. Examples of such service level commitments include commitments to minimum levels of availability. That is, consumers typically expect high levels of availability of provided computing resources, and failure of a provider to meet expected or required availability levels may result in lost profits and a loss of reputation in the marketplace.
To avoid such failures, providers often couple a resource, such as a virtual server provided remotely to a specific consumer, to a replica of the resource. Then, upon failure of the resource, e.g., the server, software is used to allow the replica to provide functionality and data previously provided by the resource. Related techniques are known as failover techniques, and may be largely effective in ensuring that an associated consumer does not ultimately experience loss of data or loss of desired functionalities.
However, during a time that such failover techniques are executed, e.g., between failure of a server and availability of an associated server replica, a time during which data and functionalities are unavailable may be unacceptably high. Consequently, as referenced above, consumers may be dissatisfied, and may request refunds or other compensation, or may select a new provider.